The Federal Aviation Administration will take another look at whether...

operators decide if they can allow more widespread use of electronic devices in today’s aircraft,” said Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We also want solid safety data to make sure tomorrow’s aircraft designs are protected from interference.” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said: “With so many different types of devices available, we recognize that this is an issue of consumer interest.” “It’s about time,” said CTIA Vice President Jot Carpenter. “It strikes me as silly that I can read a book at take-off, but if the book has been downloaded to an e-reader or tablet, then I have to wait until we've reached 10,000 feet or some arbitrary cut-off determined by the government or the airlines. Reading is reading and it shouldn’t make a difference whether I bought a book or newspaper at Hudson News or downloaded the same content while waiting to board my flight. And since most hardback books are heavier than an e-reader, please don’t tell me that this is a ’safety issue.'” Carpenter said research shows that electronic devices don’t pose an interference threat to the electronic systems in commercial aircraft. “The bottom line is that this has always struck me as an antiquated rule that no one could explain, especially since there are several airlines that offer tablets for their pilots,” he said. In December, the White House’s “We the People” website gave users an opportunity to sign a petition on allowing airline passengers to use the Amazon Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android phones and other devices in “airline mode” during takeoffs and landings (http://xrl.us/bmj76n). “Access” to that petition “has expired, because it failed to meet the signature threshold,” according to the petition’s page. Under terms last revised Oct. 3, 2011, petitions must reach 150 signatures within 30 days to “cross the first threshold and be searchable within WhiteHouse.gov,” and 25,000 within 30 days to “cross the second threshold and require a response” from the White House (http://1.usa.gov/Rj5jXA).